Resourseful Ron
by Doc2
Summary: A scientist at the BMRH gets fed up with being cooped up in his office writing reports for the Administrator, so he makes a little unauthorized trip down to the AML to witness an experiement, only to regret his decision once he arrives...
1. Casual Thursday

A Brief Note: I don't own any of the Half-Life characters, places, or events that take place here, though I do own characters like Ron Daniels and Fred Black, so if you steal them, watch your back!  
  
Resourceful Ron  
by  
E.T. Kornhauser  
  
Chapter One  
Casual Thursday  
  
"There! Done!"  
Dr. Ronald Daneils, Ron to his friends and co-workers, set his pen down on the hard oak table next to the report. It had been a particuarly tough one. The administrator had wanted a complete essay on the results of the new experiment. Ron had slaved over it for hours on end, constanlt swiching his gaze between his report and the data results, but finally, he had done it. A bad case of writers block, an empty pen, and eight pages of pure data in report-format were all that he had to show for it.  
Black Mesa was a tough job.  
Ron got up and snached the report off his desk. He planned to take it up to the administrators office as soon as he finished it. Ron never really thought he'd get to see the man himself. As a matter of fact, he had never seen him, and niether had most of his co-workers. He was said to be a cold dark man, with eyes like silver pools. He had a lisp, supposedly anyway, which made him hiss like a snake sometimes. Most of these Ron though were rumors.  
After he put a paper clip around the report, Ron headed out the door of his small office and stepped out into the hall. Like all the other scientists, Ron wore a a blue shirt, a colorful (but not too colorful) tie, a white labcoat, his ID (pinned to his shirt, a pair of white pants, and a pair of black shoes. No one was allowed to wear anything else while they were on the job!  
"Hi, Ron!"  
Ron turned to see Dr. Fredrick Black, a colluege and close friend of his, standing there, his coat tossed over his shoulder.  
"Hello, Fred. How's it going?"  
"Same old, same old. I'm wanted down at the AML today for some fancy experiment. They're going to test that new sample today."  
"Really? I heard that the Aministrator went to some great legnths to get it."  
"Yeah, I guess so. They're bringing in that new guy too, Freeman."  
"Freeman, hmm. I don't think I've heard of him. I haven't been down to the AML for weeks. I guess the higher ups think I've got a better talent for report writing then I have for experiments."  
Ron held up the heavy eight page report for Fred to see.  
"Some hefty stuff for just a single experiment."  
"Your telling me! I've been cooped up here in the office quarter for a week! The only times I get to leave is when I'm turning in reports! For Gods sake, they have a gaurd bring in some food for me!"  
They were interupted by a blurt over the intercom system.  
"Attention, attention, all Black Mesa Personal. Will Doctors Williams, Black, Freeman, and Johnson please report to Sector C Test Labs."  
"That's my cue," said Fred.  
"All right," replied Ron, then added, "you better put on that coat. I bet everything is gonna' go by the book down there."  
Fred laughed and threw on the coat over his shoulders.  
"I know, my friend I know. All these dress codes and regulations, it's all too organized."  
"Why can't we just have a 'Casual Friday?'"  
This made Fred cackle in laugher.  
"It's Thursday anyway, Ron," laughed Fred heartilly, "see ya' later!"  
"G'bye!"  
Fred started off down the hall towards the elevators. Ron smiled as he started off down the opposite hall. towards the Administrators express elevator Fred always managed to cheer him up with a good laugh. Even in this dark underground pit of pipes and halls, Fred always managed to look on the bright side of things. Ron though all these over as he pushed the button and entered the elevator.  
"Here we are," he said quietly to himself as he pushed the up button. There were no other floors to chose from. You eithier were coming from the Administators office, or going to it. He had his own elevator, his own office, his own secretary, and God knows what else he had in his own private part of Black Mesa. His whole life was shrouded in secretcy!  
There was a click and the two metal doors opened before him. Ron stepped out into the office. It was a small trapazoid shaped room. At the bottom half of far end of the room where two more doors, and just to the right of them was a small wooden desk with a bright, peppy, and very organized female secretary sitting behind it. It seemed to Ron that women were a minority at Black Mesa, and he was sure that that was not 'just the way things turned out.'  
"Good afternoon sir, can I help you in any way?"  
Ron approached the desk and put his report down in front of her.  
"Yes, I'm just turning in this report to the Administrator on the Effects of Deminsion Disfucntion. He asked that it get done by Thursday afternoon, and here it is, right on scheduale."  
"Thank you, Docter."  
The secretary picked up the stack of paper and placed it in a metal box on the floor which Ron noticed was marked 'Incoming.' Ron now wondered if the Administrator actually read any of these, or if he just put them in the file until he needed them. It seemed that the bin was nearly full, and no one could read all that in one day! It was just pure data written in paragraphs. Ron was now fairly mad at the Adminstrator, and he was very rarly mad at anyone.  
"Will that be all sir?" asked the secretaty polietly.  
"No, no it won't be all!" exclaimed Ron loudly.  
"Excuse me sir, is something the matter?"  
"Your damn right something is the matter! I studied at Harvard for years to become a Doctor, and all that talent and years of experience is going to waste, and what do you people do about it?"  
"Please sir, keep your voice..."  
"Nothing, that's what! You just sit there and do nothing while all of us scientists run around preforming tests and experiments like circus acts!"  
The secretary was now looking a little frightened, and even Ron was a little scared at his now aggressive manor.  
"Sir, if you don't calm down, I'll be forced the call security."  
"Look, I demand to see the administrator! Now!"  
"I'm sorry sir, he's not in."  
"The hell he is!"  
Ron whirled on his heels,pushed open one of the great metal doors, and stormed into the office. The secretary stood up and waited for his quick return. After only a moment in the office, Ron came back out.  
"He's not in," he said plainly.  
"Dr. Daniels," she spoke, now reading his nametag ID, "unless you leave now, I will be forced to call security."  
"All right, but I'll be back!"  
"Yes sir, thank you for your cooperation."  
Ron was steamed! With his lab coat trailing behind him, he marched back and boarded the elevator. The doors shut again, and Ron began his descent, now defeated and broken down. Ron was sulking now, a total change to his previous state. He had gone from full blown anger and rage, to pity and sadness. If he had it all over again, he would have never joined Black Mesa.  
The elevator came to a stop, and Ron exited back out unto the floor. His offices were some of the nicer ones. They were just about four floors from the surface, unlike the ones for the full time employees for the lower levels. Some of them never saw the light of day for months, and were seriously hurt when they came up to the surface. Thankfully, Ron was able to take frequent trips up there, and his eyes were used to quick adjustments.  
Ron started to walked slowly down the hall. A few of his fellow comrades linger about. Most stood around drinking fountains and water coolers Others walked down the halls with clipboards and reports. Black Mesa always kept people on their toes and keeping them working constantly. The time they got for liesure was little and rare, so Ron tried to make his last.  
He was now back at the door to his office. Just minutes before, he had stood there, talking with Fred in a light, happy, and casual tone, and now he was here again, but this time he certainly didn't feel happy. If only he were allowed to work in the labs like the other scientists. If he were allowed to take part, or even witness, the experiments, all the reports wouldn't seem like such a bother.  
Suddenly, Rons body shot upright like a bolt of lightning! An idea had sparked in his head! He would head down the Alominous *Look, I don't know how to spell that, so just deal with it, all right?* Materials Lab and watch the experiment!  



	2. A Few Rules Broken

Chapter Two  
A Few Rules Broken  
  
"I'm sorry sir, I'll need your clearence."  
Ron stopped cold. The gaurd was standing at the front of the gangplank that lead to the tram. Ron planned to simply board the tram at the office complex station, travel down to the lower levels, get out, head to the Test Chamber at the AML, and watch the experiment. It was a simple plan, but just one small problem on the first step and the whole plan fell apart like a house of cards caught in a gust of wind.  
"Ah yes, my clearance papers, hmmm."  
Ron began to pat down his pockets in a vain hope to find clearance, though in reality, it was just to make sure he didn't look suspicious.  
"I'm sorry, I must have left them in my office. I'll be right back."  
Sweating heavilly, Ron turned around and head back around the corner into the hallway. The elevators that lead back up the office complex themselves were here, mixed in with pillars alongside the walls, and there were a few metal benchs in this little waiting lobby for the tram. Ron sat down on one of the benchs, but he lept back up when he found he had sat on something.  
Now standing up, he turned around to investigate what he had sat upon. Sure enough, there was something on the seat, and he bent down and picked it up. It was just a cigerette lighter that some scientist or security gaurd had left. Tram stations were some of the few places that the 'NO-SMOKING' signs did not hang. In fact, now that Ron noticed it, there were two tall sand-filled cigerette butt holders in the small waiting room.  
Another idea crossed Rons mind!  
Ron reached into his pocket and pulled out a small note pad. He tore out half a dozen or so pages and tossed them in the cigerette bin at the far end of the room. Then he took out the lighter and lit the papers ablaze. Once he was satisifed he had a good fire going, he backed up and pushed his back up against one of the pillars so he was hidden from view.  
"FIRE! FIRE!" shouted Ron loudly. Soon, he was greeted with the footfalls of the security gaurd coming to investigate.  
"What the hell?"  
The gaurd came rushing around the corner, totally unaware of Rons presence. He was carrying a fire extinguisher and he began to use it on the small fire. When he started to put the blaze out, Ron dashed quickly around the corner and headed for the ungaurded tram. However, when he reached it, he realized he need a passcode to operate it, and there was no way an employee like him would know that kind of infomation.  
Rons eyes darted back and forth, looking for another way. He spotted a ladder near the end of the platform that said 'Matinence Acsess.' Ron smiled and ran towards it with new hope. There wasn't anything blocking it at all, and he was able to climb down the ladder quickly with ease. He was standing on a dark concrete path way below the tram on the right side. The only light came from the small opening in the canyon above, so Ron figured he'd spend most of his walk in the pitch black darkness.  
Slowly, Ron began to make is way down the long dark walkway. His hands were out in front of him in case he ran into anything. He would have used the lighter he carried, but he was afraid that someone may see him, so it left it alone in his pocket. Regulations were scrict had Black Mesa, so if he was caught sneaking around the tram tunnels when he should have been in his office, waiting for another report order to be delivered to him, who knows what they would do to him! In fact, what would they do if they found his office empty? However, before this thought could progress any further, Ron heard a sound like grinding behind him. He trwirled around on his heels to see what it was.  
A tram!  
It's lights were too far off to spot him yet, but soon, he would be right square in its sights. Ron couldn't tell if the tram was occipied, but if it was, there was no way they would miss the white labcoat against the lit-up grey concrete walls. Ron looked back and forth, or rather felt back and forth, for something to hide behind. There was something nearby that felt beg enough for him to hide behind, so he slid against it, pushing his back firmly against it so he was least visible.  
Ron was breathing heavilly, and his heart was pumping like a train engine. He hoped the trams lights wouldn't illuminate back here too much, otherwise his sceme was up! Light started to appear on the floor to his left, and the tram sounded like it was very close by. Soon, the front half of the tram appeared in the corner of Rons eye, and rsiked a glance to see if it was occupied.  
Sure enough, it had one rider aboard. A tall man, very tall, and very pale, wearing a dark blue suit and a black tie. In his right hand held a black briefcase with the Black Mesa insignia on it in bold yellow print. His hair was jet-black and was shaved to a small V on his forehead, and his eyes were set foreward, as if glued to the front of the tram. Just as he dissapeared out of view, he reached up and straightened his tie. The move was very mechanical, and looked like it had been practiced many times. Then, just as fast as it had come, it was gone.  
Ron waited until the sounds of the tram were all but gone before stepping back out unto the walkway.  
"Whew," he sighed out loud, "that was close!"  
A thought lept into Rons mind like a frog hopping across a still pond. It made some sense, but it still dogged him on whether it was true or not.  
Was that the Administrator?  
Since he had never seen the man before, it could have been him. He had never seen the man before, and since he had never seen the administrator eithier, he had nothing to compare the man on the tram with, so for now his identity would remain a mystery  
After a quick glance back, just to be safe, and then started back down the long dark path. He walked on and one, until he came came to a tram station, however, he knew that this was just a security checkpoint, and that he'd be in serious trouble if he went up there now. Since there was light above, he could just make out a small door with the words 'MATINENCE ACESS' on his right. Again, he looked back to check to see if anyone was watching, then opened the metal door and entered the tunnel.  
Everything in the long matinence tunnels looked alike, and somtimes it was hard to tell one place from another. Not that it was a maze, just more of a long tunnel with walls, floors, and ceilings that all looked alike. Ron just kept on walking down the tunnels, hopping down the stairs, and riding a couple of elevators down a few levels. When the signs on the walls next to the doors read Sector-C Test Lab, he knew he had reached his destination.  
Now standing nearly six-hundred feet below his old office, he could see that he was directly underneath the AML tram station. Ron hadn't been down here for so long, he barely remembered it, but he did remember that there was a lone gaurd at the door to the AML itself, which was located on the tram station and the door could only be opened by a code entered by the gaurd currently on duty.  
Guess I've just got to find out a way to sneak past him too, thought Ron as he climbed up the small ladder. When he reached the top, he peeked out unto the platform to see what he was up against. Sure enough, there was one gaurd, a catwalk going sticking out into the open tunnel where the trams could pull up against, and a large metal door that opened vertically. The gaurd was totally unaware of Rons presence, which was good, since again, if he was caught, punishments would be severe.  
Well, if I come out from this ladder, Ron started to think, he'll suspect something is wrong, but I can't very well go back to the office tram, since the gaurd there will have already returned to his post. I've got to come up with some excuse why I'm coming out of a matinence tunnel, why I don't have clearence, and why I need to get into the lab and watch the experiment!  
As if on cue, a desperate, yet workable.  
It's the only chance I've got anyway, thought Ron and climbed out of the tram platform. At frist, the gaurd just stood there, looking foward as if he was being inspected by his supieriors. However, he soon spotted Ron out of the corner of his eyes, and lept about a foot in the air, turned to face Ron, and placed his hand on his holstered pistol.  
Jumpy nerves, thought Ron, glad to see we're protected by the most competent security force in the world.  
"Halt right there," he stuttered, "who are you? Where'd you come from?"  
"Look, we got a problem," started Ron.  
"Yeah, we do," said the gaurd, "we've got a scientist who just appeared out of nowhere and starts blabing about problems!"  
His voice was jittery, and it was appearent he was very startaled by Rons sudden appearence.  
"Never mind about that, we've got real problems out our hands. The trams are down in this sector. I was en route to this station when the tram just stopped dead! I was stuck in it for about a quarter of an hour! Finally, I gathered up enough courage to leap unto the platform below and make way way here through the matinence tunnels. It looks like I'm just in time for the experiment."  
Ron took a good step foward before the gaurd placed his hand up.  
"Hold it right there, buddy," he spoke sternly, "where's your clearence?"  
Now for the tough part, thought Ron.  
"Right," started Ron, and then began to reach into his coat pocket and fumble around to fake like he was looking for clearence papers like he had done for the previous gaurd at the previous platoform. The guarded folded his arms skeptically and glared at Ron with impatience and annoyance.  
"Ah, you know what?" piped Ron suddenly, removing his hands from his coats, " I left the papers on the tram, which as I said earlier is stuck in the tram tunnels."  
"Two trams passed by here in the last hour," stated the guard, "one was empty and the other one had some guy in blue suit on board. He got off here and went into lab, and you know why?"  
"Why?"  
"Because he had papers! Now go on and get outta' here!"  
Ron gulped in a terror.  
"Look, I'm a big part of todays experiment! I'm needed in there! I'm a key man in the project!"  
"Then why don't you have papers, buddy?"  
"Like I said, I left them on the tram. In fact, my tram was probably the one that went by here that was empty."  
The guards eyes rolled with boredom.  
"Whatever."  
"I'm not joking around, I need to get in there! Now open that door immediently!"  
Suddenly, the large doors of the AML opened and out stepped the tall man in the blue suit with the briefcase. Ron didn't notice who it was right away, and he just kept arguing with the guard.  
"I'm telling you, I'm with the science team for the experiment today!"  
The blue suited man turned toward Ron, and he suddenly became aware who he was and went cold when their eyes met.  
"Ah, Dr. Daniels, glad to s-s-s-s-see your here at las-s-st! I heard about the the tram failure, and I figured that's-s-s-s what happened to you. Anyway, come on. I've got to finish up some buis-s-s-sness-s-s-s-s, so I'm afraid I'm going to have to mis-s-s-s-s the experiment. Make sure you write a report on it, and turn in into the Administrators-s-s office. Good day to you, doctor."  
Without another word, the man started off towards the tram platform. When he got near the edge, a tram suddenly appeared around the corner and pulled up to the boarding platform and the man got on board. All his movements and voice, with the exception of the lisp on his 'S's' were so robotic, so smooth and quick, it was like the were rehearsed. The tram began to move, and it dissapeared out of sight.  
When Ron turned around, he was greeted with the AML doors open, and the formerly hostile guard standing over the code panel.  
"Sorry for the delay sir, just head on in."  
Ron steped through the first door and in the airlock-style doorway that lead into the Alominous Materials Lab. 


End file.
